Disk polishing machine



Oct. 23, 1951 C. C. CRATSENBERG DISK POLISHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1948 IIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIII 1 IIIIII II I 1 11/ I l INVENTOR.

CHARLES C. CRATSENBERG Oct. 23, 1951 c. c. CRATSENBERG 2,572,114

DISK POLISHING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1948 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I f J 6 INVENTOR. l CHARLES c. CRATSENBERG A TRNEYS Oct. 23, 1951 3, c, CRATSENBERG 2,572,114

DISK POLISHING MACHINE Filed April 2, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

CHARLES C. CRATSENBERG Patented Oct. 23, 1 951 1; i.

DISK POLISHING MACHINE Charles C. -Cratsenberg, Moline, Ill., assigiior to. Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporationof Illinois Application April 2, 1948, Serial No. 18,581

. l The present invention relates generally to grinding and polishing machines and is more particularly concerned with anew and improved machine for grinding the disks of plows, cultivators, disk barrows and the like, more particu-' larly the concave faces thereof.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of a disk grinding or polishing machine having a grinding or polishing wheel arranged forrotation about a generally fixed axis and means for supporting the disk to be ground or polished and shifting the same toward the grinding wheel and also relatively to 9 Claims. (01. 51-97) mounted by suitable bearing means or the like;

The other angularly disposed support plate 9 is adapted to receive a motor l3 that is connected to drive the polishing wheel shaft ll through belts I4 which are trained over pulleys l5 and I6 fixed to the grinding wheel shaft II and the shaft of the driving motor IS. The forward end of the shaft H carries a grinding wheel 18, and the support plates 8 and Bare reenforced by suit able brackets or braces 2|, 22, 23 and 24. Also welded to the forward edges of the upper pertions of the two side plates 2 is a carriage-raising the grinding wheel about an axis which is coincidental with respect to the center of curvature of the disk surface being ground or polished.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a grinding or polishing machine which includes a swinging pendulum-type carrier supporting the work to be ground as well as the driving and work advancing and retracting means, all operating in conjunction with a grinding wheel mounted on the frame or base of the machine for rotation about a substantially fixed axis.

These and other objects and advantages of the'present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which one preferred form of the invention has been shown by way of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is aside view, with certain parts shown in section for purposes of clarity, of a disk grinding or polishing machine in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated;

Figure 2 is a front view of the machine shown in Figure 1', showing particularly the swinging carrier which supports a work piece and the work piece advancing and retarding means and also the work revolving means;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the connection between the lower end of the spline shaft carrying the disk to be polished and the pressure plate supporting the shaft; and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic showing of the hydraulic system.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 indicates the base or main support which includes a pair of side plates 2 connected together by transverse front and back plates 4 and 5, the plates being rigidly connected together, as by welding or the like." The side plates 2 are also interconnected by means of a bottom plate 6, a top housing plate 1, which are also welded to the front and back plates 4 and 5, and a pair of vertically spaced angularly disposed support plates 8 and 9. The upper plate 8 constitutes a support for a tubular quill memmechanism support plate 21 disposed at an angle to the vertical and substantially perpendicular to the axis of the grinding wheel shaft 1 I, The front plate '21, which forms the support for the carriage-raising mechanism described below, is

formed with a central recessed portion 28, as' best shown in Figure 2, for receiving the grinding wheel spindle shaft H and the forward portion of the tubular quill member ID therefor. The mechanism for supporting the disk to be ground or polished includes a disk-receiving pen dulum-like carriage unit, indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 35. Theunit 35 com'' prises a generally U-shaped yoke casting'36 having vertically disposed arm sections 31 and 38, which are interiorly threaded to'receive the lower threaded ends of a pair of support rods 4| and 42, best shown in Figure 2. A lower extension 45 of the yoke 36 forms a support for a motor- 46 which is connected, as described below, to drive the disk being polished. A central section 5| of the yoke 36 is formed as a shelf and is so constructed and arranged as to receive an upper casting 52, the upper portion of which is ex, tended, as at 53, to form a bearing for a vertically disposed spline shaft, 54, the splined portion 55 of which is shiftable generally vertically in a worm gear 56 that is journaled for rotation by hearing means 51 and 58 within the housing 59 that is formed by the central section 5i of the yoke and the cooperating upper casting member 52. These members are also formed to receive a worm shaft 6| which carries a worm pinion (not shown) which drives the worm gear 56. The outer end of the worm shaft 6| carries pulley means 63 (Figure 1) which is driven by, belts 64 from apulley means 65 that is fixed to the outer at its upper end against the lock washers l4 and her In in which a grinding wheel shaft in is at its lower end against thrust bearing means 11 disposed in a recess in the central portion of a pressure plate 19. As best shown in Figure 3, the lower reduced endportion 15 of the spline shaft 55 is further reduced and threaded, as indicated at 8|, .providing meansfor receiving a lower adjusting nut 82, adapted to be locked/in different positions of adjustment by a cotter 83 or the like, and a washer 84 adapted to bear against the lower side of the pressure plate I9 to limit the upward movement of the spline shaft-55 with extensions I33 which form supports for a rotatable shaft I34 on the end portions of which worms I35, meshing with the associated worm relative thereto under the infiuenceof the spring IS. The laterally outer end portionsof the pressure plate I9 are apertured, as at '81, to receive the lower ends of a pair of piston rods 88 which mounted by any suitable means on the lower deram units .89 are ,per se of conventional construction involving a' piston and a cylinder, togetherwith associated hose lines whereby fluid under pressure may be controllably directed into and out of the ram units 89for exerting .a pressure on the platen to raise or lower the spindle shaft. 55 and the disk-receiving chuck carried at the upperend thereof. When raising thechuck the pressure is exerted through the spring I6. The lower end of the spring 16 "bears against-a thrust washer 94 whichforms a part of 'the'thrust bearing means I1 mentioned'above, said bearing means also including a washer 95. Between the washers 94 an'd95 are ball bearings or the like, andthe lower thrust washer 95 is disposed in a central recessed portion formed in the-pressure plate I9. As best shown in Figure 3, this construction provides for rotation of the spindle shaft 55 relative to the pressure plate 79 and the yoke casting 36 while under thepressure exerted on the shaft by the springlfi.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the carriage 35 will now be described. The upper end/of each of the rods 4I and-42 isreceived in a sleeve member IN, and each of the sleeve members IN is provided witha laterally *outwardly extending tapped boss I02-in whicha stud I63 is fixed. The outer end'of each of the studs is rockably disposed in the forward portion ofa lug-I85 which forms a'forwardly projecting part of avertically shiftable slide-I 06. Each ofthe two vertically shiftable slides I06 ismounted 'for vertical shiftable movement along ways -I'I which-are boltedor otherwise'fix'ed to a mounting plate I08 that is bolted, as at Hi9, to the support plate 21. The upper ends of-the-rods 4! and 42 are supported for movement-within the vertical bores N2 of the-sleeve members IOI,-and the upper threaded endsof the rods-4 l and '42-receive worm wheels II3 'which'mesh with-worms -I I4 fixed to'a transverse, shaft -I I5 which is journale'd -in--ex tensions I I6 on the upper ends of-the sleeves I BI. Each'end of I theshaftl I5-issquared to receive a crank or the like whereby the shaft may be turned, as desired, to rotate the worm :wheels H6 and thus raise or lower thecarriage 35 relative to the pivots I03 by which it is swingably mounted on the base I.

The two pivot brackets I05 may be raised. and lowered along the ways I0I onithe mounting plate I08, so as to readjusttheparts ,to'compensate for wear of the grinding wheeland consequent reduction in diameter thereof, by -means which will now be described. The supporting'member I 08 carries a forwardly extending aperturedlug I ateach upper corner portion thereof, and an interiorly'threadeddug or projection I25 iscarried on each bracket I06. A-screw threadedshait I28 is extended downwardly-through eachof the apertured projections I26, :andat its upper ,end each of 'the shafts I 28. extends upwardly through the associatedlug I25. Atits upperend each of the shafts lzll-c rriesa,wormwh el el .10 form parts of a pair of ram units- 89*whichare V gears I3I, .are mounted. The outer ends of the "shaft I34 are squared to receive a crank or the like wherebyfthesh'aft I34 may be turned to rotate the two shafts I28 and thus raise or lower thesupportmember I08 and the pivot-receiving brackets I06 thereon.

Referring again to the yoke or carriage unit 35, it will be seen from Figure lthat each of .the upper sectionsS'I and 38 of the yoke 36 ispro vided with a pair of inwardly extending lugs I 4I. A bail member I43 is pivotally connected to the lugs I4I, as at I44 '(Figure 1). As best ShOWIlliIl Figure 2, the bail member I43 preierably consists of two bailsections I45 and I46 spaced at their inner or adjacent ends to receive a pivot bolt I41, the sections I45 and I46 being rigidly connected together by a central section I48.

For swinging the carriage unit 35 relative to the grinding wheel I8, I provide a ram unit I50 disposed Within the enclosure formed by the plates 4, 5 and I. Preierably, the ram unit I50 is supported in any suitable Way from the upper plate 7 and includes a piston rod 1:12 that extends forwardly through the front wall sect on 4 and pivotally connected through the bolt I41 with the link member or bail I43. A bracket I54 is fixed to the outer end .of the piston rod 52, as best shown in Figure 1, and is fixedly connected to theouter end of a slide I5a, preferably of I- beam cross section. The inner end of the slide I55 is supported withinthe housing formed by the p.ates 4, 5 and l by means of a support I55'that is fixed in any suitableway to the top plate 7 and or to the ram unit I50, as desired. Switch-operating stops I58 and I59 are adjustably fixedto the slide I55, preferably within the aforesaid housing, and a similar switch-operating stop Nil is adjustably carried by .the pressure plate I9, through lock nuts I63 or the like, and an apertured extension I64 on the lowerportion of the lower depending portion 92, the extension I64 being apertured to receive the upper end of a rod I65 on which the stop I6] is adjustably mounted. Preferably, the lower portion of the rod I65 is screw threaded and the stop I61 fixed in position by a pair ofrlock nuts I66.

Theroperation of the disk polishing machine as so far described is substantially as follows:

Assuming that theicarriage 3,5 and the supporting member I08 have been brought into the proper position relative to the base and the grinding or polishingwheel 18, the operator first starts the motors Island 46, which causes the polishing wheel Ifliand the disk D on'the fixture I0 to rotate, the. operator also starting up the motor M of a hydraulic power unit which includes a, pump driven by the motor, a reservoir, conduits to and from the .ram units 69 and I50, and other appurtenances ,forming a .part of the hydraulic system that controls the rams 89 and I50. The hydraulic system .may be of any suitable construction and theparticular details thereof'do not per-se formapart of the present invention. Having-started the motors M, I3 and 46, the operator then actuates suitable valve means todirect fluid under pressure into the lower ends of the cylinders of thehydraulic units 89-to'raise the spindle .55 and so cause thedisk D to ap mach therotating polishing wheelie.

When the disk D has been raised 'rothe proper position, depending upon how much pressure it is desired to exert through the spring I8 during the polishing operation, the sto IBI actuate'fs'fa limit switch L which acts througha suitable solenoid valve or the like to direct fluid under pressure into the forward end of the cylinder forming a part of the ram unit I50. This causes the piston rod I52 thereof to be moved inwardly (to the left as viewed in Figure l) and this movement acts through the bail or link I43 to swing the carriage 35 inwardly relative to the grinding wheel I8 and causes the latter topolish the en! tire inner surface of the disk D. When the piston rod I52 has been moved through such an extent as to complete the polishing operation the stop I58 acts through a second limit switch cause the spindle 55 to be lowered and at the same time to cause the piston rod I52 to be forced forwardly or outwardly (to the right as viewed in Figure 1) thereby swinging the carriage 35 .forwardly or outwardly into the position shown in Figure 1. This movement continues until the stop I59 actuates a, third limit switch L which terminates the outward movement of the piston rod I52 and shuts off the motor 46, thereby bringing the spline shaft 55 to astop. The polished disk D is then removed and an unpolished disk inserted and the process repeated.

As'mentioned above, the ram units 89 and I50, together with the limit switches L L and L may be incorporated in various hydraulicvand electrical circuits, as desired, and I do not intend to limit my invention to any particularbcycle and/or timing of operation. However, I have shown one form of hydraulic circuit in Figure 4 with which the disk polishing machine of the present invention may be equipped. Referring now to Figure 4, the reference numeral 200% indicates a source of fluid from which a. pump 20I driven by the motor M withdraws fluid and de-. livers the same under pressure into amain' conduit 202 and two high pressure branches 203 and 204. The branch 203 leads to a solenoid-hydraulic valve unit 205, and fluid may be delivered by the valve unit 205 back to the reservoir 200 through a conduit 206. The other high pressure branch 204 leads to a similar electro-hydrauli'c valve unit 208, and the latter unit may deliver fluid back to the reservoir 200 through a return line 209. The valve unit 205 includes a pair: of solenoids 2H and 2I2 for operating the control valve, and the valve unit 208 similarly include solenoids 2I3 and 2 I4 for a like purpose.

The two ram units 89 are interconnectedby leads 2I5 and 2I6, and the latter are connected by conduits 2Il and 2I8 with the valve unit 205. The ram units 89 control the raising and lowering of the shiftable disk-carrying unit 35. The ram unit I50 that swings the carriage 35 toward and away from the polishing wheel I8 is connected with the valve unit 208 by conduits 22I and 222.

Counterbalance valve units 226 and 221 are interposed in the lines 2 I 8 and 22 I, and a flow control valve 228 is interposed in the line 22. Return check valves 229 and 230 are interposedin the conduits 22I and 222 adjacent the valve unit 208, and another check valve 23I is associated with the high pressure branch line 204.

The electrical circuits interconnecting the motors M, l3 and 48, and the associated limit switches and solenoids are omitted from the diagrammatic showing in Figure 4, since such circuits do not per se form any part of the. present invention.

In operation, when the solenoid .212 is energized fluid is caused to flow under pressure through the conduits 2I8 and 2I8 into the ram units 89 to raise the disk D into a grinding position, and when the disk reaches the proper position the limit switch L is actuated which, through connections (not shown), energizes the solenoid 2I4 which causes fluid to flow under pressure past the valves 230 and 221 and through the line 22I to the ram unit I50 to cause the carriage 35 to be swung inwardly, whereby the rapid- 1y rotating polishing wheel I8 grinds or polishes the concave surface of the disk D. When the stop I58 actuates the limit switch L the latter acts, through circuits not shown, to deenergize the solenoids 2 I2 and 2 I4 and energizes the solenoids 2H and 2I3. These units shift the valves 205 and 208 so as to-cause the ram units 89 and the ram unit I50 to cause the carriage 35 to lower and at the same time to be swung outwardly toward the position shown in Figure 1. Then when the carriage 35 is returned to the position just mentioned the stop I59 acts against the limit switch L to deenergize the solenoids 2 I I and 2 I3, whereupon the disk spindle motor 46 is stopped and the other parts held in position to accommodate the removal of the ground and polished disk and the substitution therefor of the next disk to be ground or polished, whereupon the series of operations asdescribed above is repeated.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it. is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: x

1. A machine for polishing the concave side of concavo-convex disks, comprising a support, a disk-carrying work holder including a yoke, a rotatable chuck carried by the yoke in a generally vertical position, a pair of upwardly extending arms connected at their lower ends with said yoke, means carried by said support for pivoting the upper ends of said arms for swinging movement relative to said support about an axis which contains the center of curvature of the concave side of a disk mounted on said yoke, a

grinding wheel rotatably mounted on said support generally in a plane parallel to the axis of swinging of said yoke whereby the latter is movable toward and away from said grinding wheel, said yoke arms being spaced apart so as to move on opposite sides of said chuck and said grinding wheel, and means for raising and lowering said yoke arms relative to said support so as to adjust said yoke to correspond to clifierent curvatures of each disk.

2. A machine for polishing the concave side of concavo-convex disks, comprising a support including a base section and a pair of laterally spaced apart members extending upwardly and forwardly from said base section, a disk-carrying work holder, a part swingably mounted on the upper and forward portions of said laterally spacedapart member, vertically adjustable means on said swingably mounted part for connecting said work holder thereto for movement toward and away from said base section about a generally transverse axis, a rotatable chuck mounted on said work holder and adapted to receive -,a disk'w-ith LthBsCOIICEI-VB: side thereof facin :upwardly,. with/said disk disposed "generally centrally between said laterally -spacedtapart membersand withrthe central of curvature ofsaid'conoaveside lying in said transverse axis, means for rotating said chuck, a grinding wheel unit mounted onpsaid base section generally be,- tween said laterally spaced apartmembers and including a grinding wheeland a motor for driving said wheel, peripheral portions of said;.grinding'wheel engaging the concave faceoi said disk when said work holder is swung toward and. away from said grinding wheel, means to operate said vertically adjustable means for raising and lowering'said work holder relative to saidgrinding wheel so as to adjust the work holder was :to accommodate disks :of different curvatures, .and means for swinging said work holder.

-3. .A machine for;polishing theconcave side of concave-convex disks, comprising abase having a lower portion and an upwardly and forwardly angled portion overhanging the lower portion, a disk carrier, means for swingaloly mounting said disk carrier on the-overhanging portion of said base, about a transverse axis and including. means for supporting a disk with. its concave side facing upwardly,-and-;means for rotating said disk, agrinding wheel mounted for rotation on said base at an acute angle to the horizontal and in a position generally. rearwardly of the vertical plane of said transverse axis,gbeing adapted to engage the, concave side of said disk when the carrier is swung upwardly and rearwardly toward said grinding wheel, and means carried by said base and connected with. said disk carrier ,for swingingv the latter toward. and away from said grinding wheel.

:4. A disk polishing machine comprising abase having an upper portion, adisk carrier comprising a yoke, a disk-receiving spindle mountedon said yoke for rotation about a generally vertical axis and for axial movement in a. generally. vertical direction in said yoke, means on said yoke for rotating said spindle, means on the yoke for raising and lowering the spindle relative-tosaid yoke, means for swingably supporting said disk carrier on the upper portion of said base for movement about said transverse axis, a disk polishing tool carried by said base below said upper portion and rotatable about an axis extending in a downwardly and forwardly extend ing direction, said tool being disposed rearwardly of the-vertical plane passing through said transverse axis, and means for shifting said disk carrier inwardly of said base toward said tool, said disk carrier normally being suspended below said transverse axis in a position generally infront of said tool when removing and replacing disks on said carrier.

5. A disk polishing machine comprising a base including a pair of upwardly extending side plates, said plates being disposed in spaced apart relation, a rotatable shaft carrying a disk polishing wheel at its forward end mounted on said base between said plates in such aposition that the axis of said shaft extends downwardly-and forwardly and the plane of rotation of saidwheel extends upwardly and forwardly, a supporting plate disposed between said upwardly extending base plates and lying in a plane generally parallel to the plane of rotation of said polishing wheel, a member mounted for vertical adjustment along said last mentioned plate and carrying a pair'of brackets extending generally forwardly therefromna carrier for disks to ibepolishedacomprising a lower disk-receiving ,memberrand a rpairaoi upwardly extending laterally spaced apart. arms pivotallyzconnected at. their upper ends :tosaid forwardly extenting brackets, said arms being spaced apart azzdistance, sufiicient to clear said polishing wheel when, swung toward the :latter,

and-means on saidwbase for swinging saiddisk carriersztowardand .away from said polishing wheel. The invention set forth: in claim 5, further characteriZed-by'means for raising and lowering said bracketsrelative to said supporting plate, andzimeans for raising and lowering saidq disk carrier .arms relative to their pivotal connection with sa'idbrackets. .7; .A disk-polishingmachine comprising a-base having an upwardly extending portion, a power driven polishing wheel carried by said base below said;:upwardly extending portion, a disk carrier comprising a-disk-supporting member and a pair of laterally spaced apart arms fixed at theirlower ends to said supporting member, means pivotally connecting .itheupper ends of said arms with the upperportion of said base, said arms being spaced sozas to'clear said polishing wheel and the disk supportedion said carrier, said disk'carrier includingldi'sk-receiving means, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said carrier, a drive wheel having a splined engagement with said shaft and heldagainst axial movement in .said carrier :but accommodating, by-virtue of said-splined engagemerit, verticalmovement of said shaftiandz-the disk-receiving means at the upper. end thereof, meanson said disk'earrierconnected-with the lower end of saidxsha'ft for raising .saiddisk-receiving means on the disk thereon :intooperative engagement with said polishing wheel, .andsmeans for swinging saiddisk carrier toward said-wheel when the'disk-receiving means has been elevated to bring the disk thereon into engagementwith said wheel.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7, further characterized by apart rotatably connected with the lower end of said disk carrier shaft, a spring acting between said part and said shaft for trans! mitting raisingmovementfrom said part to said shaft, and raising means on said disk carrier acting against said part for raising said shaft.

9. The invention set forth in claim 7, further characterized by a motor carried by saidswinge ably disk carrier, a cross shaft carried by said carrier and having driving engagement with said splined gear, and'means for driving said cross shaft fromsaid motor.

CHARLES .C. CRATSENBERG.

: REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany .Feb. 16, 1924 

